Car-coupling



(No Model.)

J. D. WHITEHEAD.

OAR COUPLING. No. 345,349. Patented July 13, 1886.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN D. WHITEHEAD, OF NORTHUMBERLAND, PENNSYLVANIA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent No. 345,349, dated July 13, 1886.

Application filed March 27, 1826.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN D. WHITEHEAD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Northumberland, in the county of Northumberland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Car- Oouplings, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to an improvement in car-couplings; and it consists in the peculiar construction and combination of devices that will be more fully set forth hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a car-coupling embodying my invention with the coupling-link arranged in position for coupling. Fig. 2 is a similar view of the same with the coupling-link arranged in position to enable two cars to come together without being coupled.

A represents the draw-head, which is provided at its outer end, on its under side, with a horizontal platform, B, from the upper side of which and extending longitudinally through the center of the said platform extends a reduced shank, O, which is preferably formed with the front end of the draw-head, the said shank having a curved upper side. D, and the vertical hook E, projecting from the outer end thereof. Transversely through the shank C, at a suitable distance from the outer end thereof, is made anopening, through which passes a rock-shaft, F, the ends of which are bent at right angles parallel wit-h each other, forming lever-arms G, by means of which the said shaft may be partly rotated in the opening. From one side of the rock-shaft, in a line with the lever-arms G, extends a coupling-link, H. which is secured firmly to the rock-shaft, and is thereby adapted to move when the said shaft is turned. When it is desired to couple the cars, the link and the arms G are turned in a horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 1, the link being supported in this position by the platform B. When the cars come together,

Serial No. 196,857. (No model.)

the outer end of the link strikes the outer curved face of the hook E of the opposite draw-head, passes up over the said hook. and drops behind it by its own gravity, as will be very readily understood, thereby automatically coupling the cars together. In order to uncouple the cars, it is only necessary to partly rotate the shaft F by means of one of the arms G, which arms are arranged on opposite sides of the ctrs, and raise the link sufficiently far to cause it to disengage the opposing hook. When it is desired to have two cars come together without coupling, the link H is raised to the position shown in Fig. 2 and inclined rearwardlyagainst the correspondingly-inelined front face of the draw'head. The shaft L extends horizontally on one end of the car, and the arms on the ends of the said shaft are thus brought nearly or quite to the side of the car, thereby enabling the cars to he uncoupled by a person standing on the ground alongside the car without the necessity of his going between the cars, and thus cn dan'gering life and limb.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- The draW-head having the horizontal platform B and the reduced shank O on the center of the platform and extending longitudinally thereon, the said shank having the curved hook E at its'front end and the upwardly and rearwardly extending curved side D in rear thereof, in combination with the rock-shaft F, extending transversely through an opening in the shank O in rear of the curved hook and above the platform, and having the link H and the arms G. the said link and arms being rigidly attached to the said shaft, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto -affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN D. WHITEHEAD.

Witnesses:

JOHN J. SHEETs, G. NEWBURY. 

